Open day 2: Oosthuizen takes early lead
Louis Oosthuizen continued yesterday's impressive run with an early start at the Open Championship this morning, the South African five-under-par after 18 holes.
That puts Oosthuizen on 12-under-par for the tournament, three strokes ahead of first-round leader Rory McIlroy. The Ulsterman tees off at St Andrews later this afternoon hoping to replicate the form that saw him post nine-under-par, the best-ever opening round in the tournament's history - but conditions are likely to prove less conducive to low scores today, with heavy rain already playing a part and strong winds expected to figure as the day progresses.
For now though, it's not only Oosthuizen who poses a threat to the 21-year-old McIlroy. America's Ricky Barnes is five-under-par after 12 holes, an eagle on the 5th contributing to that score which sees him level with McIlroy for the tournament. And England's Paul Casey is looking sharp, the 32-year-old five-under-par for the day after nine holes, having birdied the opening three. That puts him a stroke behind McIlroy, with the back nine still to play.
Former Open winner Mark Calcavecchia may be a little long in the tooth these days, but the 50-year-old who currently plies his trade on the US Champions tour may have hopes of recapturing the form that saw him win at Royal Troon in 1989. The American has already completed his second round, five birdies for the day seeing him on seven-under for the tournament, tied for fifth place.
Lee Westwood shook off a niggling calf injury to finish a solid five-under-par yesterday, but so far this morning the world No. 3 has yet to catch fire. As with yesterday's round, Westwood's first birdie came on the fifth today, but the 37-year-old has been unable to add to the total; he's currently one-under-par after nine holes.
Miguel Jimenez is five-under today, and also for the tournament, the Spaniard having played as far as the ninth. And his countryman Sergio Garcia has had a better start too, one bogey and three birdies in the first seven holes seeing him two-under for the day, three-under in all.
But Korea's YE Yang, last year's PGA Championship winner and a man who looked capable of challenging yesterday after a round of five birdies and no bogeys has had a poor start to the day. Yang started with a birdie on the 5th but followed that up with two bogeys on the bounce, and has also double-bogeyed the 11th to find himself three-over for the day, two-under for the tournament.
Tom Watson likened St Andrews to a lady with her clothes off, thanks to the favourable conditions early on yesterday; today, however, the lady appears to be kitted out in thermal underwear. For the Korean, so far this morning it's been a case of wham, bam, no thank you Yang.
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